Skip to content

MENU

CBD Novel Food Regulation

Building consumer and regulator trust through consistent product safety, quality, and efficacy  

Creating a successful CBD consumer brand and loyal customer base in the United Kingdon (UK) or European Union (EU) requires high-quality products that are compliant with the Novel Food Regulation. 

cbd oil and cannabis

What is the CBD Novel Food Regulation?

The growing trend for natural health remedies coupled with increased awareness of the medicinal benefits of cannabidiol (CBD) is driving rapid market growth in consumer CBD products such as oils, tinctures, and gummies. 

In 2019, the Novel Food Regulation was designated a suitable regulatory pathway for the portion of CBD products defined as food in the UK and EU. 

The novel food application process consists of three parts

Part 1: Administrative Data

Part 2: Characterization of the novel food, technical and scientific data

Part 3: Annexes to the Dossier

Part 1: Administrative Data

Requires administrative data, such as information relating to the applicant.

CBD Products Requiring Novel Food Authorization

The European Commission and UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) have classified CBD food and food supplements as requiring Novel Food Marketing Authorization.  This includes:

  • Beverages
  • Cakes, cookies, and other baked products
  • Chocolate, candy, and confectionary
  • Gummies and capsules
  • Oils
  • Drops and tinctures
  • Tea and coffee products
  • Dietary supplements
cbd cupcakes

Other CBD Consumer Products

There are several CBD product categories that sit outside the Novel Food Regulation. However, as CBD regulation is continually evolving it is important to have access to the most up-to-date regulatory information and expertise before making product development and market introduction decisions. 

CBD Vape Products

CBD Pouches

CBD Cosmetics

Cold-Pressed CBD Products

CBD Vape Products

CBD vaping products have no required regulatory compliance, but CBD vapes are still required to abide by legal levels of any controlled substances such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and should not make any medical claims.

It has been suggested that these products may be assessed as part of the third iteration of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). However, this has yet to be confirmed, and currently, these products are outside the scope of the Tobacco Product Directive (TPD) legislation.

Speak to a Regulatory Expert 

Speak to a regulatory consultant about your CBD product and learn how we can help ensure Novel Food regulatory authorization and compliance.



Contact Us

Cannabinoid Consultancy Services Resources

Learn more about how we can help bring your medicinal cannabis and CBD product to market through our scientific and regulatory consultancy services.

Medicinal-Cannabis-and-CBD-Services

Medicinal Cannabis and CBD Services

Learn more about our UK and EU Novel Food Application scientific consultancy and analytical testing support.

Click to download

Whitepaper:-Does-CBD-Really-Harm-the-Liver?

Whitepaper: Does CBD Really Harm the Liver?

Both the FDA and EFSA have raised several concerns about CBD as supplements and as an ingredient in food and drinks, citing potential liver damage as a possible side effect. Is CBD really that toxic to the liver? To find out, toxicologist Cristelle Santos looks at the scientific evidence.

Click to download

Whitepaper:-A-Summary-of-the-Legal-Status-and-Regulatory-Pathways-to-Market-for-Cannabinoid-Products-in-the-UK-Market

Whitepaper: A Summary of the Legal Status and Regulatory Pathways to Market for Cannabinoid Products in the UK Market

Broughton summarises the regulatory pathways available for cannabinoid products in the UK market and the legal requirements for each potential market route. 

Click to download

Whitepaper:-Review-of-the-degradation-pathways-of-cannabinoids,-the-potential-impact-on-medicinal-and-consumer-products,-and-discussion-of-mitigation-solutions-

Whitepaper: Review of the degradation pathways of cannabinoids, the potential impact on medicinal and consumer products, and discussion of mitigation solutions

In this whitepaper, Broughton discusses the susceptibility of cannabinoids to degrade and summarizes the main degradation pathways of the primary cannabinoid products on the market; tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD). 

Click to download

Whitepaper:-The-importance-of-the-human-endocannabinoid-system-when-developing-therapeutic-cannabis-products

Whitepaper: The importance of the human endocannabinoid system when developing therapeutic cannabis products

To develop cannabis products that can both enhance the quality of life of cannabis users and comply with current and future regulations, we believe that fi rst we need to understand what cannabis is, how people use it, and how it affects the human body and mind. This white paper aims to provide essential but concise information about these areas, supported by scientific evidence.

Click to download

Cannabis-Services

Cannabis Services

Enhancing the positive reputation of cannabis by accelerating safe, efficacious, and high-quality cannabis products to a regulated market. Learn more about our cannabis services. 

Click to download

Cannabinoid Industry Insight and Expert Opinion

Learn more about our activities and gain insight from our scientific and regulatory experts

Visit the blog